25 Best Beaches in the Caribbean

What makes a beach rank among the best? Instagram-worthy beauty, for sure, but also — depending on your mindset — accessibility, privacy, shade, seclusion, swimmable water, the quality of the sand and the potential for fun. Incurable beachcombers that we are, Islands.com took all these factors into consideration while revisiting our most memorable Caribbean sun-and-sand experiences. The result is our list of 25 best beaches in the Caribbean, complete with scores (10 being best) for the things we think matter most.

Some beaches are made for Instagram and this is one on Dutch St. Maarten is one of them. Chances are you've seen the selfies and videos of people with jumbo jets just feet above their heads — because popular Maho Beach is located next to the runway at St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport. This dual-nation island (more than half of the island belongs to French St. Martin) is still recovering from two devastating 2017 hurricanes, but the Sunset Beach Bar has reopened and jet-spotting patrons have been cleared for landing.

Offering 2½ miles of soft white sand, pretty aqua-hued water and plenty of sea grape trees for shade, Grenada's most popular beach is worth a visit, especially if you love to stroll just after sunrise or before sunset. Yes, it can be crowded at times, but you can always ditch the sand for a refreshing swim or an adrenaline rush as you try fly boarding (Google it).

Some beaches are unique and this small strand certainly is — in a few different ways. First, it's located between Gros Piton and Petit Piton (the dramatic green peaks that are one of St. Lucia's main calling cards). Second, it's a public beach by law but also part of the Viceroy Sugar Beach Resort, so the easiest access is via a water taxi to Jalousie Bay (it's a scenic ride, too). Stick to the public area and you can swim and snorkel — and gaze endlessly upward.

Serenity? Nah. Sometimes you want to be in the middle of it all — and still enjoy a great beach. If so, this hotel-, restaurant- and nightclub-lined strip located across Laguna del Condado from Old San Juan is trendy, convenient and fun. Just be aware that the waves and tide can sometimes be a bit strong for children or inexperienced swimmers.

This isn't a beach you visit to plop down on a chaise and order a daiquiri. Bathsheba, located about 14 miles from Barbados' capital, Bridgetown, on the Atlantic coast, is a wild and breezy stretch of eye-catching rock formations and rolling surf that's ideal for active/adventurous visitors. Paddle out and catch a wave (it's a popular spot for surf competitions), enjoy an invigorating stroll and sip rum punch while soaking in one of the shallow Bathsheba Pools.

The longest public beach on Nevis, 4-mile Pinney's offers up panoramic views of the island's lush hillsides (home to green vervet monkeys) in one direction and neighboring St. Kitts in the other. There's also an array of small beach bars — Sunshines being the most famous for its potent Killer Bee cocktail — and gorgeous sunsets.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton vacationed on this stunning Port Antonio beach more than 50 years ago and Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz filmed a scene from "Knight and Day" here in 2010. But what draws guests to this private estate hotel (day visitors can pay about $10 for access) is its serene authenticity and unspoiled location away from Jamaica's main tourist areas.

Antigua has 365 beaches — yes, the island could do a "Beach of the Day" calendar — so choosing one was tough. We went for relaxation and beauty (although when cruise ships are in port this is often an excursion destination). Accessible by bus (20 minutes from the capital, St. John) and home to a casual beach bar and restaurant, Ffryes Beach has powdery sand, gentle surf and a chill vibe.

There's a reason Negril's most famous beach is lined with resorts: The sand is soft, the surf is a seductive clear aqua hue and the sunsets are spectacular. Needless to say, Seven Mile Beach is synonymous with fun, so it's not for shy, retiring types. Live entertainment, free-flowing all-inclusive bars and a few clothing-optional areas make it a care-free party zone. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Pack your sunscreen! You'll only get to enjoy this idyllic sandbar in the Grenadines and its solitary wooden palapa for a few hours after being dropped off with a cooler full of cold drinks. It's located between Union Island and Petit St. Vincent, and aside from sunning, snapping selfies and waving at passing boats, the main activity is snorkeling, so bring a mask and fins.

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then the ancient Mayans had amazing vision. They chose to build their only coastal fortress on a bluff overlooking this intimate Mexican beach. After touring the ruins, many visitors opt to follow a pathway and cool off with a dip in the gentle Caribbean surf. The beach offers great photo ops of Tulum's Castillo, too.

Sometimes you just want to play and Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman, known for the calmness and clarity of its brilliant blue water, offers lots of ways to get your heart racing. You can parasail, jet ski, wind surf, wakeboard, stand-up paddle board, kayak and more. Landlubbers can find a comfy sun lounger, enjoy a relaxing massage, tee up at one of two adjacent golf courses or visit Calico Jack's at the beach's north end to sip a refreshing (and potent) Cayman Lemonade.

On an island known as a playground for the rich and famous, this beach on the northwest coast is an inviting hideaway for anyone — if you can find it. Home to the luxurious five-star Cheval Blanc resort and flanked by a few restaurants and villas (and palm trees for shade), it's quieter than popular St. Jean's Beach near the airport and is known for gently rolling waves.

It's love at first blush. The islands of the Bahamas are home to many strands of brilliant white sand, so what sets this expansive Harbour Island beach — it's three miles long and 50 to 100 feet wide — apart is its subtle rosy hue. Clearly visible (but more intense just before dusk), the soft pink sand invites relaxation (you can even horseback ride in the surf) and offers a mix of privacy (away from the three resorts) and camaraderie (at small beach eateries and bars).

The U.S. Virgin Islands has its fair share of beautiful beaches, but this 1-mile arc of champagne-colored sand on the north coast of St. Thomas adds super-swimmable water, abundant water sports, a family-friendly vibe and an affordable food and beverage concession. It's a USVI park, so there's a $5 entrance fee, and it's very popular with cruise ship passengers.

Yes, Bermuda is in the Atlantic, well north of the Caribbean, but its namesake Bermuda Triangle (of which it is the northeast point) extends to the Bahamas and Puerto Rico, giving it regional cred. Plus, its pale pink sand and luminous turquoise water are simply gorgeous. What it isn't is deserted — at least not during peak season (May to November) and on days when cruise ships are in port — but bathrooms, food facilities and snorkel rentals make it a top spot to play.

Catch a boat named Happiness to a tiny offshore cay surrounded by sublime blue sea? Yes, please. This terrific little spot, which first welcomed tourists in 1984, has rebounded from (and been reshaped by) seven hurricanes, including Irma in 2017. The reason to visit: a lunch of grilled lobster, crispy grouper and drunken coconut shrimp chased by JoJo's Rum Punch. Wear your swimsuit to enjoy a dip and relax on an umbrella-shaded chaise — until Happiness returns you to Anguilla proper.

** 8. Juanillo Beach, Dominican Republic

While the beaches in Punta Cana and Bavaro beaches stretch for dozens of miles, they're also lined with all-inclusive resorts filled with thousands of people. For the same white sand and gentle turquoise surf — but with a quieter, more laid-back vibe — check out this beauty located within the upscale Cap Cana resort area but open to the public (at the gate, just say you're headed to Juanillo Beach).

Like an unassuming cousin from the country, Eagle Beach has an offhand charm that outshines the swagger of its more famous, more crowded Aruban relative, Palm Beach. This wide curve of sand is home to low-rise resorts, breezy tropical palms, a smattering of thatched palapas and two legendary wind-sculpted divi trees. It's the perfect spot to inhale deeply and be happy.

Whether you're a day-tripper sipping a rum-laced drink at a beach bar or a sun-seeker enjoying a siesta in a rental villa, the soft sand and casual vibe of White Bay Beach on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands are impossible to resist. After being damaged by the 2017 hurricane season, the lively Soggy Dollar Bar (home of the Painkiller cocktail) and other beloved beach bars are happily back in the intoxicating business of pouring infamously strong BVI cocktails — just enjoy White Bay's great swimming and snorkeling beforehand.

Soft white sand, ridiculously clear turquoise water and, yes, swimming pigs — this beach on uninhabited Big Major Cay, set amid a string of gorgeous and mostly deserted islets and sandbars in The Exumas, has all three. And if the adorable four-legged residents (thought to be descendants of long-ago ship-wreck cargo) can piggy-paddle their way over for a visit, imagine how calm and relaxing your own swim will be.

The British Virgin Islands were hit hard by Hurricane Irma in September 2017, and while a number of its leading resorts have only partially reopened or are slated to reopen in late 2018 and 2019, Virgin Gorda's top attraction has been welcoming visitors for months. Arrive by boat or land to scramble amid a maze of mammoth boulders (which provide welcome shade), claim a patch of soft sand or snorkel in super-clear water. Just know that when cruise ships are anchored nearby, you may feel more like a visitor to a water park than a castaway in paradise.

Most beaches aren't postcard-perfect — but Trunk Bay isn't most beaches. Located on the northwest coast of the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, where 60 percent of the land is national park, it's renowned for its talcum-soft sand and underwater snorkel trail. And while St. John (along with St. Thomas and St. Croix) was slammed during 2017's hurricane season, Trunk Bay has rebounded and continues to win new fans.

Related: Best Beaches in the World

A little bit peaceful retreat, a little bit party central — and a whole lot of flawless sand and soothing blue sea — is the recipe for this 1-mile stretch on Anguilla (often cited as the best of the island's 33 beautiful beaches). Walk its length and enjoy serene views along with legendary local eateries Uncle Ernie's (for BBQ) and Elodias Beach Bar (for grilled mahi mahi), washed down with rum punch, of course.

If you want your field of vision go full IMAX, this is the spot. Yes, Turks and Caicos' most famous beach is lined from end to end with resorts, but the "ahh" moment that occurs every time you gaze out at Grace Bay Beach's dazzling white sand (it's talcum-soft, too) and clear aquamarine water is a natural sedative. And the upscale ambience, beachfront pools, soothing spas and casual beach bars have a vibe that's equally right for romance or family time.